TEXAS, USA — On Friday, the Texas Senate approved Senate Bill 6, a new congressional map that protects incumbents and gives Republicans an additional edge in the state's congressional delegation.
The map – proposed by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) – "helps Republicans by increasing the number of districts that would have voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election and decreasing those that would have gone for Joe Biden," according to The Texas Tribune.
The Tribune reported that the new map also "hinders the potential for Democrats to close the gap between the two parties in Texas' congressional delegation by drawing fewer districts in which voters of color make up the majority of eligible voters, who tend to lean Democratic in the state."
Texas' current maps — with 36 House seats — consist of 22 districts with majorities of white voters, eight districts with Hispanic majorities and one with a Black majority; five districts have no majority. Texas gained two seats after the 2020 Census, which is required every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution. The data are used to redraw congressional districts to represent shifts in population.
With the way the map was drafted by Huffman, of the 38 House seats, 23 districts would consist of white majorities, seven with Hispanic majorities, none with a Black majority and eight districts would have no racial majority.
Last week, Texas congressman Joaquin Castro, a Democrat, called the then-proposed map "racially discriminatory."
The Texas Tribune reported that Huffman said she gave drafts of her map to the attorney general's office for analysis on whether or not it complied with the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution.
“We were assured that all the existing minority opportunity districts, whether they be Black or Latino, were going to perform as such,” Huffman said. “And we saw no strong basis in evidence that a new minority opportunity district should be drawn in the new maps.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, released a statement Friday in favor of the passage of Senate Bill 6:
"The congressional district map that the Texas Senate passed today is both legal and fair. This map displays our collective commitment to making sure every Texan's voice is heard in Washington, D.C. I want to thank all 31 senators for their hard work, and especially Sen. Huffman for her leadership throughout the redistricting process."
The congressional map now moves to the Texas House for approval. If the Texas House approves the proposed map, then it would be sent to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk to be signed. It must be approved before the end of the special session, which ends on Oct. 19.
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